My mother was diagnosed with CFS when I was about 6 and battled it for a good couple of years (she basically spent over a year on the couch). I don't know what led her to decide to become a vegetarian, but as soon as she quit eating meat, her CFS basically went away. Unfortunately, about a year ago I began experiencing similar CFS symptoms of my own. After eventually accepting the fact of the matter, I became vegan for about 3 months and immeaditly began feeling like my old self. I gradually began adding milk, cheese, and eggs back into my diet to find out if I could eat these products, and how much, without the return of the symptoms. After experimenting with my diet, I have found that I am able to eat fish/seafood at least a few times a week without feeling sick, but I am not able to eat any other type of meat. I also limit my milk intake slightly by using soy milk with cereal and other things such as macaroni & cheese. My mother has been a vegetarian for over 18 years now, and has been symptom free. She cannot even have any type of meat juice/drippings in her food. For instance, she has gone out to eat and had a grilled veggie meal and the following day was sicker than a dog. We came to the realization that her veggies were cooked on a grill with meat drippings/juice. She can tolerate eating a small amount of seafood and only feels slightly bad afterwards, but that is it. Other than eating a little bit of seafood here and there, I have been vegan/vegetarian for almost a year now and I haven't felt better!

Only today I found an article about taking Wellbutrin for CFS. I have been taking the generic 300 mg XR for over a year, due to a head injury, so I do not know if that has help to alleviate my symptoms. I do know though that when I have tried to eat red meat, it instantly sent me backwards into the symptoms again.

I am curious if anyone else with CFS has had similar experiences with eating meat? If you can't seem to find relief, I highly suggest at least trying to go vegan/vegetarian for a few weeks to see how you feel. Kroger is great at catering to this type of diet. It may sound gross, but the veggie burgers, 'chicken' patties, and even fake hot-dogs are really quite good (and you know what is actually in the hot-dogs!!! I highly suggest using condiments with the dogs though!) A lot of restaurants are also catering to vegetarians as well, even Burger King carries veggie patties! At McDonalds, I get Big Macs, minus the meat, add tomatoe, and absolutely love it!

Please let me know if anyone has done something similar or if you try changing your diet and it works for you!

I worry that doing this will put you in a position (especially if you are female and menstruating) where you will then become anemic and end up having fatigue anyway. My sisters are both vegetarians/vegans and are anemic. Just something to think about. Make sure you add extra iron in your suppliments.